Ant-Man - This was pretty fun. It's not the best MCU film by any means but it's a good representation of the character and delivers quite a lot of excellent action scenes. There won't be any real surprises here but this means it also won't let you down. Pretty good way to wind down Phase 2 of the MCU. 8/10

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - Despite my disinclination to like anything associated with Scientology, this wound up being a great watch, and probably the best film in the series thus far. Tom Cruise must have a death wish, judging from some of those stunts. 7/10

Mad Max: Fury Road - Holy shit did this film ever deliver. I think my favourite part of it was that at no part did it come even close to insulting the viewer's intelligence or pandering to the lowest common denominator; it adhered rigidly to the motto "Show, don't tell". I'd love to see more action films follow this format in the future. The depictions of female characters were also amongst the best I've seen in mainstream cinema. One of the best films I've seen this year. 10/10

Inside Out - This honestly may be Pixar's best film to date. As a person who suffers from depression this hit really close to home as the best cinematic depiction of the illness I've ever seen. To be honest it actually gave me a new vocabulary to discuss what seems to be wrong with me, and for that reason alone I'm immensely thankful to it. But it's a superb piece of art in its own right, in pretty much every way that matters. 10/10

Jurassic World - It might be damning with faint praise to say this is the best Jurassic Park film since the original, but it's easily true. There are some problems with it - I didn't like the way some of the female characters were handled and the human characters sometimes seemed artificially dumb - but it made up for it with the kind of dinosaur action sequences that were almost entirely missing from the previous two entries in the series. The final battle certainly delivers. 7.5/10

Avengers: Age of Ultron - Not as good as the first one, but there's enough worthwhile moments to make it a good watch anyway. Vision is amazing and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future. 8/10

Looper - This lived up to expectations, despite some occasionally weak make-up. It reminded me a lot of 12 Monkeys, which I'm sure was the director's intention. I'll have to watch more of his work in the future. 9.5/10

That's a good overview of the recent highlights, though I'm sure there's more. Post about the films you've recently watched.

mithrandir

2015/08/30 00:57:53

yeah, Fury Road surpassed my expectations, probably one of the few movies I will actually buy when it comes out on DVD, hopefully it will have some cool extras and so forth,

I'd like to see that Inside Out movie, only heard good things about it

tonight I think we may see this As Above, So Below movie

Fidel Castro

2015/09/02 22:45:12

Quote:

Ⓐaron wrote:
(Post 1607096)

Mad Max: Fury Road - Holy shit did this film ever deliver. I think my favourite part of it was that at no part did it come even close to insulting the viewer's intelligence or pandering to the lowest common denominator; it adhered rigidly to the motto "Show, don't tell". I'd love to see more action films follow this format in the future. The depictions of female characters were also amongst the best I've seen in mainstream cinema. One of the best films I've seen this year. 10/10

I feel like I need to watch both this and the original. Oh wait, I think I've seen the first one, but as per usual when it comes to me I barely remember anything from it.

Quote:

Ⓐaron wrote:
(Post 1607096)

Inside Out - This honestly may be Pixar's best film to date. As a person who suffers from depression this hit really close to home as the best cinematic depiction of the illness I've ever seen. To be honest it actually gave me a new vocabulary to discuss what seems to be wrong with me, and for that reason alone I'm immensely thankful to it. But it's a superb piece of art in its own right, in pretty much every way that matters. 10/10

I watched this today and I feel the same about it as you do. One of the few movies I've seen in a while that made me have feels for realz.

Kane

2015/09/02 23:32:23

I finally watched Fury Road last night and I agree with Aaron's assessment almost 100%. I loved the use of "show, don't tell" and I really liked how the story and the world were acted instead of spoken. It still had its failings though, there were points where, while yes, you know what's going on, the movie does a pretty crap job of showing OR telling you and that was a little annoying at times. Still. Great film. 8.5/10

Toementor

2015/09/03 00:01:38

Across 110th Street. A film from 1972 directed by Barry Shear. One of the few made-for-cinema films that he directed, as he was more known for TV films as well as many episodes of the U.N.C.L.E. series. This film is also widely regarded as one of the first films of the Blaxploitation sub-genre.

Despite some dodgy camerawork and angles, there are still some brilliant stills. The script seems well thoughtout and with minimal plot holes. This is also perhaps one of Yaphet Kotto's greatest performances on screen. (You know. The guy who played Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big in that Bond film a year later, and Parker in Alien.)

The tensions the black community of Harlem and its neighboring white populace of the '70s is a recurring theme as well as the general mistrust that came along with it and is done well bonus points go to the minimal use of the word "nigger". Also touches on the ethic and "politics" of the police force, as well as the seemingly tireless NY mafia.

All in all, a decent film. Would probably watch again. 6.75/10

Toementor

2015/09/06 12:58:56

The Gore Gore Girls. Film also from 1972. Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis aka "the Godfather of Gore". The Gore Gore girls is an exploitation film touching the genres of Splatter/Slasher, Crime, and, every so often, of Black Comedy.

The general plot (while terrible) concerns the brutal murders and mutilations of strippers and the suave yet sarcastic P.I. and a reporter whom investigate the cases.

Pros: Special effects wise, for the early '70s, the gore is well executed without seeming too over the top. The humour involved is used well; particularly the jar of acid that read "Acid: Made in Poland", Henny Youngman, chocolate milk spurting out from a cut nipple, and semi-regular breaks of the fourth wall. I also thought the writing of the main character was well thought-out.

Cons: Other than the typically bad plots from HG Lewis that we've known to love, the only real downside is the film's repetitiveness from killing to investigative scene. Some of the strip club dance scenes felt as if they were perhaps a bit too lengthy as well.

Side note: This was HG Lewis' final film for 30 years until he finally made the sequel to Blood Feast.

A stupid yet enjoyable watch. 5.5/10

Toementor

2015/09/24 00:00:58

Films I've watched in the past couple of weeks.

The Expendables 3 - 5/10
Another decent homage to buddy-action films of the '80s.

Autostop rosso sangue (Eng title: Hitch-Hike) - 7/10
A great exploitation/road (but not carsploitation) film with great performances from Franco Nero, David Hess (yet another Hess rape scene is in there as a heads up) and the main female lead who's name I've forgotton at this time.

The Candy Snatchers - 6/10
Exploitation crime film about a trio who kidnap a teenage heiress of some big wig. Many twists and turns that are pretty fun. The bloody bits are minimal but executed well. Almost borders black comedy at times. Only downfall is can be a bit slow at times. Grindhouse cinema is written all over this.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For - 8/10
Following the first Sin City some 10 or so years back I was heaps excited for this sequel. While clearly not as good, this is everything I love in a film. Witty fun puns, over the top violence, Frank Miller, boobies, sleaze, etc.

La casa sperduta nel parco (Eng title: The House on the Edge of the Park) - 6/10
Another David Hess R/R film (this guy loves rapin' people, I tell you.) which is still decent. Stupid yet okay twist at the end.

The Last House on the Left - 5/10
See above. Though notable notes (kek) include being Wes Craven's first film, David Hess' first acting role, and it's better than the remake.

The Time Traveller's Wife - 5/10
Only watched this because mum and dad chucked it on whilst I went over for dinner one night. Not my usual forté for film considering it was a Romantic Drama movie, but I sorta enjoyed it - I'll admit. At least Rachel McAdams is still sorta cute. lel

The Iceman - 8/10
At least in terms of this film I would say that Michael Shannon had one of the best performances of 2012. You can tell he brings the essence of his characters decline into subtle madness from Boardwalk Empire into Iceman and it really works a great deal. From the stone-cold look in his face to the fits of rage. Superbly executed. The supporting cast are also a good fit. From Ray Liota's generally weird film roles, to even the odd jumpsuit wearing Josh of David Schwimmer. My only negative write-up would be that against James Franco. Feels a bit out of place. The character could have done with maybe a bit more sleaze.

Edge of Tomorrow. 7/10. I was pleasantly surprised. It's Groundhog Day if you strip out all of the profundity and replace it with near future sci fi action and replace Bill Murray with white action man (Tom Cruise?). Its not amazing, but a pretty good watch.

Big Man Japan - 9/10
A really weird faux documentary about a Japanese Government employee. His job is when shocked with enough electricity he transforms into Big Man Japan and defends Japan from kaiju. It's equal parts absurdist but also very sad. I would really strongly recommend it (I couldn't find it for download without spending more than two minutes, but its three bucks on Amazon).

Howth Castle and Environs

2015/10/03 05:04:50

The Martian - 9.5/10

An almost perfect film. I actually can't think of any flaws right now, but I'm sure if I thought about it for long enough I could think of a few which is why I'm not giving it a perfect score. Alongside Fury Road and Inside Out this is probably the best film of the year thus far.

Liquid

2015/10/24 02:50:36

Resident Evil: Retribution - ??/10
I watched this because I have a mental illness where I enjoy these movies. It's really terrible, but I would still recommend it.

Sunshine - 10/10
Really beautiful. Honestly I couldn't think of anything I didn't like about it. DO NOT watch if you have not adjusted the brightness and black level of your display since buying it.

Liquid

2015/10/24 04:35:23

I also literally just finished rewatching The Fountain. When I was younger, this was my favorite movie. I haven't seen it since it came out in 2006 (I would have been 16 at the time). I'm really conflicted about it. Taken at face value the film is a its best an ambitious failure. A movie that collapses under its own weight. The movie is apparently about three different characters in three different timelines trying to defeat death. However after thinking about it for a few hours its really a movie about coping with death. I do think that it might be only okay, but I still definitely love it. I think it is initially impossible to parse, and comes across as incoherent garbage. But after dedicating a lot of thought to it, I think its a really smart and insightful film that is tragically flawed in the way it tries to present its message to its audience. I really did love it though, and will probably revisit it and try to write a decent amount about it if someone cares. I think it is still my favorite film but for really different reasons than I used to.

AD

2015/10/24 05:27:11

The Hacker Wars - 8/10
Quite enjoyable documentary on Anonymous and the role hacking plays from a societal point of view. Whether or not what they're doing and the beliefs they hold are correct or agreeable doesn't make it less of an interesting and entertaining watch.

Pentatonix: On My Way Home - 10/10
I'll admit, I'm biased on this one. I like Pentatonix's music. I watch Super Fruit on Youtube occasionally. I enjoy their music and their voices. Watching a documentary on them and one of their tours was done purely out of entertainment for me.

Stripped - 9.5/10
Great documentary on comic strips. An especially interesting watch for me considering I did grow up reading the Sunday comics, and still do read them. But to the same point, I enjoy web comics. Not as much as some people, and I certainly don't keep up with them, but I went to PAX South this past January, I read Mall Monkeys in high school, I will read the occasional web comic strip here and there but haven't read any religiously in years. On the flip side, whenever I go to B&N I always head straight for the comics and games section first and see if there's a new Zits collection out.
I enjoy the print and internet medium, so it was a little revealing to hear straight from the artists their take on the decline in print papers. Being in a large city, I'm not overly concerned about ever losing the Life & Arts section and not being able to read some strips while I do the crossword, but that doesn't mean there isn't going to be a time when most of comic reading is done online.
This documentary is very similar to Word Play (also a great documentary on crossword puzzles) I think, where it's showcasing and interviewing people who are in a profession that is shifting into a new form and is changing how it's being broadcast to its audience. To hear from established old school comic cartoon artists (Bill Waterson was interviewed and recorded which is awesome - voice only) and new generation artists (Penny Arcade, Dinosaur Comics, etc.) on their opinions, ideas, fears, and the future of comics was cool.

All of these are on Netflix.

Howth Castle and Environs

2015/10/24 07:52:53

Bridge of Spies was really good. 8/10 or so, probably.

Sar

2015/10/25 01:05:06

thanks to my horrible work schedule I never seem to have time to watch movies in theaters so I'm always way behind, but over the summer I watched Fury Road over and over again because it's amazing.

Howth Castle and Environs

2015/10/25 01:10:43

definitely need to watch Fury Road again when it comes on Netflix or Prime. That film was so good

maybe I should go see The Martian again before it leaves theatres too

Percules

2015/11/12 08:27:07

SPOILERS ABOUT FURY ROAD AHEAD!

I think Fury Road is a bit feminist film, especially considering that part of the film, which had these wives, or sex slaves, and that they were all young and so ridiculously beautiful was very well founded and justifiable in the narrative. They weren’t eroticized but the first time they were introduced to the spectators. Before this point the spectator didn’t know anything about them, except that they are Immortan Joe’s chosen wives, so the spectator sees them merely as fuckable objects, chicks with boobies, because this is the usual heteronormative way of presenting women in films today. In Fury Road, to Max, these women weren’t the target of his lust. It was the water in which the women washed themselves. So, I think it’s safe to say that in that moment the spectator has been caught when he/she recognizes this thought in his/her head: "because it’s a young beautiful woman in an action movie, she is just an eye candy." As the movies proceeds however, the spectator comes to acknowledge these women as equal characters as any other characters. And if you think about how the shots were cut, you can see that the bodies of women were not the main focus. To underline this, there was an actual line ”We are not things!” in the film.

Aside from that, it was a gorgeous film to see in the cinema.

Fidel Castro

2015/11/12 13:35:54

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608094)

I think Fury Road is a bit feminist film

Implying this is a bad thing.

Percules

2015/11/12 15:11:04

Quote:

Fidel Castro wrote:
(Post 1608096)

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608094)

I think Fury Road is a bit feminist film

Implying this is a bad thing.

What do you mean?

Toementor

2015/11/12 18:55:24

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608098)

Quote:

Fidel Castro wrote:
(Post 1608096)

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608094)

I think Fury Road is a bit feminist film

Implying this is a bad thing.

What do you mean?

It's not a bad thing.

Dalkaen

2015/11/12 21:38:34

Quote:

Ⓐaron wrote:
(Post 1607562)

The Martian - 9.5/10

An almost perfect film. I actually can't think of any flaws right now, but I'm sure if I thought about it for long enough I could think of a few which is why I'm not giving it a perfect score. Alongside Fury Road and Inside Out this is probably the best film of the year thus far.

I enjoyed The Martian but it was a lot shallower and more lighthearted than I was expecting. Damon's character is so unflappably optimistic that it strains my suspension of disbelief. I don't know--maybe it just wasn't what I was looking for in a movie like that.

Fidel Castro

2015/11/12 22:06:38

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608098)

Quote:

Fidel Castro wrote:
(Post 1608096)

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608094)

I think Fury Road is a bit feminist film

Implying this is a bad thing.

What do you mean?

Oh wait, I guess I misinterpreted/mistranslated your last sentence as being dismissive of the whole thing you described. Just shows how far I still am from being fluent in English. Sorry about that.
EDIT: Or, did I really misunderstand it? I'm too unsure about my English language skillz someone help me plz (T_T)

Percules

2015/11/13 09:40:18

Quote:

Fidel Castro wrote:
(Post 1608103)

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608098)

Quote:

Fidel Castro wrote:
(Post 1608096)

Quote:

Percules wrote:
(Post 1608094)

I think Fury Road is a bit feminist film

Implying this is a bad thing.

What do you mean?

Oh wait, I guess I misinterpreted/mistranslated your last sentence as being dismissive of the whole thing you described. Just shows how far I still am from being fluent in English. Sorry about that.
EDIT: Or, did I really misunderstand it? I'm too unsure about my English language skillz someone help me plz (T_T)

No, I was not saying it is a bad thing. I am a feminist.

I'm not good in English myself. You might have been distracted by what I said in the end about "aside from this", in which I only meant that the whole movies was eye candy in addition to being a bit feminist, which I find myself very refreshing and smart.

There are of course different meanings to the definition of feminism, because there are different branches of feminism which have different views on equality. I have heard that feminism itself has gone to two different directions here in Northern Europe. What I know about the US is that there is a dirt crusade against the whole concept of feminism and feminists. I consider feminism meaning only the search for equality.

It's good that this came up. Always ask me if there is inconsistency.

Fidel Castro

2015/11/13 12:51:55

Oh, I see. Well all's good then (^__^)

Sar

2015/11/14 02:19:51

Yeah, at times the feminism was way on the nose (also totally fine) to the point that when I walked out of the theater my friend said "did you think there was a bit of a feminist bent to that movie?" I said "no, I don't see that at all" and pretended to not understand his thesis for the next hour.

Drav

2015/11/14 03:51:55

Feel kind of weird about how much I loved the disgusting misogynist villains though. It just like one of my games workshop miniature games!

Howth Castle and Environs

2015/11/14 05:05:31

Well, they were pretty well executed villains. They're the sort of villains I feel it's fine to love to hate.

Sar

2015/11/14 12:44:41

It's not a movie going for subtlety, which isn't something we're used to in our 10/10, best movie of the year type movies. The story is told visually and that includes the characterizations of the villains. Another thing I said to my friend while I pretended to not understand his feminist thesis was "were we supposed to find the guy with the face mask repulsive?"

Drav

2015/12/05 12:58:26

Superman vs Batman looks suitably horrible. Man of Steel was Snyder's worst film yet (which is saying something after Sucker Punch) so I'll be impressed if he can make a film even worse than that.

Roger Mexico, Gentleman

2015/12/05 18:00:27

Quote:

Liquid wrote:
(Post 1607756)

Sunshine - 10/10
Really beautiful. Honestly I couldn't think of anything I didn't like about it. DO NOT watch if you have not adjusted the brightness and black level of your display since buying it.

I love a lot about this movie. I can't get behind the third act. I think the movie would have been better without it and spoilers everything just could have been a series of mechanical accidents and self-sacrifice rather than a surprise slasher film.

Quote:

Drav wrote:
(Post 1608266)

Superman vs Batman looks suitably horrible. Man of Steel was Snyder's worst film yet (which is saying something after Sucker Punch) so I'll be impressed if he can make a film even worse than that.

I am a knuckle-dragging idiot who loves Superman. I saw the new trailer and immediately sucked down all that kool-aid. I'm not... terribly fond of how it looks like they're handling Doomsday but I hate Doomsday. So.

Also I liked Man of Steel despite its weird pacing issues and troubling action climax, but I also enjoyed Superman Returns. My opinions on Superman movies are highly suspect.

Quote:

It just like one of my games workshop miniature games!

Not gonna lie, there is definitely a part of me that wants to field an Ork army with silver tongues.